Although the physical design of communications and electronics systems has in recent years seen extensive advances in terms of simplification, miniaturization, circuit integration, and the like, the interconnection between system components and mounting frames still relies largely on individual conductors assembled in cables for power distribution and signal transmission. In many systems, terminations from the many circuit units are collected at common points where terminals are provided to which individual cable conductors must be joined. Although the art has offered improvements in terminating arrangements, problems of facilitating and speeding the individual joining of conductors and terminals remain. Both soldered and solderless connections have been extensively employed in the past, in the latter group appearing the well-known insulating piercing terminals. Electrical connection between such terminals and the cable conductors is achieved by slicing through the conductor insulation by means of bifurcated blades extending from the terminals, which blades at the same time seize the bared conductors to make the connections. This method has the obvious advantage that, not only is the tedious and time-consuming soldering step eliminated, but the necessity of first stripping the conductor insulation is also avoided.
Conventionally, the individual cable conductors are first sorted and arranged on a first insulating member mounting the conductors in a pattern corresponding to the spacings of terminal blades retained in a second insulated housing member. The two members are adapted to be fitted one to the other during which assembly the blades function as described to make the electrical connections. A unitary connector assembly is thus realized which may be readily separated to permit wiring changes and repair of the connections. One known connector assembly of this character is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,316 of R. W. Rollings issued Jan. 3, 1978. As there demonstrated, the two parts of the connector are precisely dimensioned to ensure accurate alignment of conductors and bladed terminals and also to ensure that the two parts are firmly fitted together to prevent separation of the electrical connections. As a result, the assembly of the connector involves a number of operative steps, each of which must be carefully attended to in order to achieve reliable connector service. Thus, for example, means must be provided to retain the conductor mounting member so that the individual cable conductors may be properly sorted and arranged thereon with minimum effort. After the loading of the mounting member, it must then be precisely aligned with the contact terminal housing to ensure that the insulation piercing terminals retained by the latter member make accurate contact with the corresponding cable conductors to prevent bending and distortion of the parts. Means must also be provided for trimming access conductor lengths in view of the close fitting of the terminal housing. Finally, sufficient force must be evenly applied to one of the connector members to establish the simultaneous electrical connections of what may be a relatively large number of terminals and conductors. These operations may also be aggravated when they must be performed during field maintenance, for example. It is the facilitation of these operations and attendant problems that the connector assembly apparatus of this invention is chiefly directed.
Apparatus for performing one or more operations broadly analogous to the examples mentioned in the foregoing is known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,897, of W. R. Over et al., issued July 19, 1977, for example, discloses a press arrangement for connecting conductors to contact terminals of an electrical connector albeit of a character dissimilar from the connector arrangement contemplated in the foregoing.